Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has said that the controversy over his country's anti-gay propaganda law is something that has been invented by the Western media.
According to Sky News, the new law, which makes it illegal to give under-18s information about homosexuality, has led to calls for a boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in Russia.
Debate over the law, which was introduced in June, has strenghtened during the World Athletics Championships in Moscow, the report said.
However, Mutko said that the issue had been blown out of all proportion and the country just wanted to protect the young generation.
Olympian Yelena Isinbayeva had also earlier said that homosexuality was disrespectful to Russia's traditions.